Thomas Keller

As chef de cuisine, Chad Palagi leads the culinary brigade in a collaborative manner to develop the daily changing tasting menus. With years of experience in the Per Se kitchen, Palagi was a natural choice to become the restaurant’s fourth chef de cuisine. And with his roots in restaurant management, he cultivates collaboration between the kitchen and the dining room. Palagi also focuses on teamwork in the pursuit of excellence, helping to make wonderful memories for guests.

A Napa Valley native, Palagi grew up around the hospitality world, as his father worked in restaurant management. After attending the Napa Valley Cooking School in St. Helena, he gained experience in Napa and San Francisco before heading east to join the Per Se team as commis in 2012, eventually working his way up to sous chef. In 2017, he moved back to the Bay Area, where he became chef de cuisine at Michelin-starred Rich Table. He returned to Per Se in early 2021.